Ancient Gemini
by kiboeme
Summary: The story I am about to tell you is real. This story is about two boys who are very different, but are bound across time and space by the same thread of fate. But I preface myself too thoroughly. This story may be the most important one ever and the key to Hyrule's survival in the future, but it is more than capable of telling itself.


HOW TO READ THIS STORY

This story is a fanfiction of the Legend of Zelda video-game series. It begins only days after the Twilight Princess game concludes. It was written as a novelization of a fictional game, and as such has some elements of literature and some elements of script-writing. A good portion of the story, especially the beginning, would be cutscenes. Some parts would also be playable parts, in which Link is roaming Hyrule and other places by direction of a human being with a controller in their hands. It was also written as the master quest version, with no side quests, hidden areas, or shortcuts involved.

At the top of each page, before the actual story begins, is a link to a YouTube video. (Disclaimer: All music belongs to its creators/composers and is not a property of the author of this fanfiction. If you are the owner of one of the above mentioned videos and would prefer your music to not be included in this fanfiction, please email gamegirl1455 .) Anyone who has played the Legend of Zelda games knows that the music of a certain area or cutscene is a very important part of that area or cutscene. It contributes to the mood, accents the words and actions of a character, and can make a certain place either likeable or horrible. Since music is such a vital part of the actual games, it seems only sensible that music would be included in a fanfiction of these games. It is the choice of the reader whether or not to play the music linked at the top of the page as they read.

CHARACTER NOTES

Some characters in this fanfiction are characters taken directly from Legend of Zelda video games. These characters are not the property of the author, and are rather the property of Nintendo and their creators. Conversely, all original characters are the intellectual property of the author and are not to be used without express permission from the author.

Additionally, Link speaks in this fanfiction. It was confirmed in the book Hyrule Historia that Link is not a mute and is primarily speechless in the games so that the player feels more connected to the character and becomes part of the game more. Link can be seen 'speaking' in multiple games such as Skyward Sword, he actually uses his vocal cords in Wind Waker, and in other games he presumably explained a situation or event to another character with his voice.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

There are non-canon speculations within this fanfiction. Though each of the theories has been well thought-out by the author and is usually explained within the fanfiction, they are not to be taken as canon events, characters, or history.

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"He has left Ordon."

"What?"

"She's right. He's gone. Poof. At first I thought he was sleeping late or just not responding to get out of farm work, but.."

"And he isn't coming back, e-either."

"WHAT?!"

"I- I asked him. He w-wouldn't look me in the eyes."

"But that isn't like him. He knows how much he means to the children, Collin especially."

"Hold on, everyone. Link is a smart boy. He knows what he means to the village and to us and wouldn't leave without a very good reason. We still don't know what happened to him when he went to save Ilia and the other children. I've heard some of it from Renado and Telma, but nobody knows everything. He left and we have to respect that."

""I suppose you're right... but what am I gonna do without my herder when the goats get cranky?!"

"Maybe Collin can help you, Fado."

"Good idea, Rusl. Fado, go with him to talk to Collin."

"D-Dad..."

"Illia, I know this has been rough on you-"

"Dad, I loved him!"

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The glen is so peaceful. Quiet but for the gentle rustling of leaves in a soft summer breeze and the quiet chirruping songs of the forest birds. Someone with a sensitive ear could perhaps detect the shifting of small creatures scurrying in the grass, or maybe even the murmur of voices and activity from the village of the fairy children.

A young girl sits on the stump of a tree in a sunny clearing deep within the Lost Woods. She plays her music softly, slender fingers dancing over the pale ocarina in her hands to produce the spirited woodland tune that fills the forest. As she plays, the forest spirits whisper in her ears. She stands abruptly, tucking the ocarina into a subtle pouch in her simple green dress as she hurries from the clearing.

She slips through the village unnoticed, flitting between the shadows of buildings and the shade of plants on the outskirts of the village. She manages to sneak past Mido's guard at the village exit as well. She rests there, inspecting the wood of the literal bridge between her world and another. It is not long before she sees him coming from the shadows of the tunnel. As soon as he comes into full view, she straightens up. The sight of his best friend sidetracks the boy clad in green and he comes over to her.

"You're leaving, aren't you?" she asks. He nods in reply, confirming not only her own suspicions but the words of the forest spirits. She is quiet for a moment, saddened by the news. "I think I always knew that you would leave, Link."

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He opened his eyes to a stranger's face. Though the red eyes that gazed at him were unnervingly familiar, the rest of their features were disguised by a white cloth around the chin, mouth, and nose, and several shocks of straw-colored hair. With a start, he rolled to the far side of his sleeping platform, snatched the sword there, and leaped to his feet. He whirled around, prepared to strike. The stranger did not even flinch from his movement. They merely gazed back at him with those strange eyes.

"Link," they said in a somewhat muffled and masculine voice, "I need your help." Link narrowed his eyes at the stranger and tightened his hand on the handle of the Ordon sword. Suddenly, the stranger was no longer standing on the ladder. In fact, they were nowhere in sight. Link could not hold back a small gasping cry of surprise when they vanished. He peered over the edge to look for them and saw the stranger on the main floor of his home inspecting the shield that hung from the wall. Link jumped from his sleeping platform and landed a little ways behind the stranger. He still held his sword. The stranger was tracing the red bird design on the Hylian shield. They didn't turn around for a long moment, and when they finally did it was with a frighteningly determined look in their eyes.

"My name is Sheik, and I am from a different time," he said boldly. Link blinked in disbelief, struggling to comprehend what he had just heard, but Sheik allowed him no time to do so. "I come from the past to beg your help for my time. We are in great peril, and I fear that the chances of Link's failure are equal to his chances of success." Link shook his head and took a step back. 'Link'? Sheik looked at him carefully. "Do you not know? Didn't your Zelda tell you?" Link looked even more perplexed and shook his head. Sheik's eyebrows creased in what was perhaps a frown.

"Very well. I will tell you then. You are familiar with the story of how the three goddesses, Din, Faore, and Nayru created the land of Hyrule and its inhabitants?" Link nodded, though he thought it was merely a legend. "When the goddesses departed from this world they left behind a sacred relic called the Triforce. It is an object of immeasurable power, able to grant anyone who touches it with a wish. However, the person touching it must have perfect equilibrium of the three traits of the Triforce; wisdom, power, and courage.

"Centuries ago- days ago in my time- an evil man without the perfect balance managed to enter the Sacred Realm and touch the Triforce. His wish would have transformed Hyrule into a dark and chaotic land. But the Triforce reacted to his imbalance and split into three separate pieces. Power was left behind with the evil man, and the other two pieces attached themselves to those who best represented those traits. In the generations since, the pieces of the Triforce have remained bound to those same people, and their reincarnations.

"The person granted with the Triforce of Courage set out on his quest to save Hyrule when he was only 10 years of age. He was trapped within the Sacred Realm for seven years when he attempted to pull the Master Sword from its pedestal, deemed unworthy at that age to be the hero of time. In that time, the evil man took over the kingdom of Hyrule. Now the Hero of Time is searching out the Seven Sages in order to seal this evil man within another world for all of time. But I fear that he is not strong enough, even now, to face the challenges that are to come his way." Link blinked, trying again to understand everything. He tried to respond, managing to gasp out a few staccato 'I-', 'Uh-', and 'Wha-'s before stopping. He took a deep breath to calm himself and shook his head with a frown.

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"No. No more saving the world. I'm done," he said. Sheik looked shocked at his reply. Link's face was a mask of anger to disguise painful memories as he turned away. "Things happen... You do things, see things, go places, and then you come home and you can't explain what happened because... because you're not exactly sure what happened. One time was plenty, thanks." The room was silent for a moment.

"And if I told you that it would, in the end, result in your 'journey' never having happened?" It was now Link's turn to be taken aback. He faced Sheik again with a hopeful look.

"Really? Is that possible?" Sheik simply nodded. Link looked downward, thinking rapidly. He was torn between the uncertain shred of hope Sheik offered and the certainty of unhappiness that he had now. He swallowed. "Okay."

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Gameplay

Link left his home at a walk, thinking of the last time that he had done so. Just before his planned trip to Hyrule Castle to deliver the Ordon Sword. The ill-fated trip that never happened and instead transformed into a terrifying and heartbreaking adventure to save two different dimensions. He ignored the uncomfortable cold tingle that rippled down his spine, just as he had then. His patience lasted until he reached halfway down the ladder. He let go of the wooden rungs and dropped the last several feet to the ground. The landing was an easy one from such a short height. Sheik went ahead of him, disappearing from sight inside and reappearing at the base of the tree.

Epona was waiting for him in the clearing around his treehouse home. The patient mare nickered and tossed her head when Link came near to her, asking questions about Sheik's unfamiliar scent and presence. Link didn't heed her. He simply swung up into the saddle on her back. Sheik took a running leap from the ground and landed behind him on Epona's back. When Link pressed his heels to her sides, Epona began to move.

The trio traveled as far as Ordon Spring before they were stopped by a soft call. "Wait . . ." came the voice. It echoed from the clear waters, bouncing from the patterned rocks that formed the Spirit's Grotto. "Come to me . . . Hero . . ." Link dismounted from his horse, leaving Sheik, and walked into the water. The brilliant, glowing sphere that was the light spirit Ordona hovered in the air.

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Cutscene

"Link . . . I know of the quest that you have set out upon . . . and I feel that it is my responsibility as a Guardian of the Light to warn you . . . Though your intentions are good and your heart is true, your actions could have great consequences to you and to all that you love. There are things at work in this world which no mortal mind can grasp and which no mortal should tamper with . . ." Link blinked, digesting the Spirit's words.

"We are aware of the possible effects," Sheik said from behind him. Ordona turned its attention to the stranger.

"Then I will entrust the care of this world, past and present and for all time, to your hands. Beware, Hero. Choose your path wisely . . ." The spring was silent for a moment, the quiet birdsong and the sighing of the water the only sounds.

"The item that you will require to enter the bast was hidden away a century ago. The location where it was hidden has been lost even to me and the other Light Spirits of Hyrule. However, the knowledge has been passed down through the royal family of Hyrule in the form of a rhyme. The Princess, Zelda, knows this riddle, but she is unaware of its meaning. Good luck, Hero." It slowly faded before them.

Sheik walked in front of Link from behind him. "You heard what Ordona said, yes? Princess Zelda, the leader of all of Hyrule, knows a sacred riddle that will guide us to the location of the item we need. You should pay her a visit."

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Gameplay

Link mounted Epona for a second time. Sheik assumed the same position as before, riding on the horse's rump. Link clucked to his horse and she began to gallop through the forest. He guided her carefully across the bridge - she always became nervous crossing the bottomless chasm - and through the Faron Woods. He hurried across Coro's clearing in an effort to avoid conversation with the strange man. Eventually he came to a great expanse of open field. Since the recession of the Twilight and the disappearance of Ganon's grip on the land, Hyrule's monster population had sharply decreased. This was evidenced by the handful of travellers crossing the once-deserted Hyrule Fields.

As he passed the gate to Kakariko Village he noticed that the gate had been painted over. The creepy blood-red x the bokoblins had smeared on the wood and metal was gone, replaced by a clean and shiny black. It welcomed the adventurous to the rugged desert beauty that made up most of Eldin Providence. The prosperity that had come upon Renado and his village made Link's solemn face lift and brighten a little. They slowed and stopped outside of Castle Town's gate. Sheik and Link dismounted and walked across the stone bridge. The heavy hardwood doors that guarded Castle Town from invaders were closed, but not locked. Link pushed them open with a hard shove and entered.

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The normally bright and bustling street was nearly deserted. Only a few souls ventured from their homes, and then only for some necessary errand. Stalls laid empty on the side of the way, some sabotaged and others piled with rotting goods. Windows were dark. The guards normally posted at the gates were absent. A heavy and dark emotion had settled over the cobblestone roads - fear. Link picked up the pace. Sheik kept up. They skirted the fountain in the main square and made directly for the castle doors. These were, as usual, closed, but an unusual number of guards were stationed outside of them. When Link walked up to them they immediately went on the offensive, stabbing at him and Sheik with their spears and clubs. Link didn't dare draw his sword or shield. He simply turned and hurried away, not bothering to ask questions. He slowly walked towards the fountain, trying to discover what was up through logic. Why had they reacted that way? What had happened to Castle Town? Sheik tapped him on the shoulder.

"Something is very wrong," he said when Link turned around. "Do you know someone here in Castle Town that would know what has happened and is willing to tell us?" Link thought for a moment. The guards were more interested in stabbing him than informing him and there was no one on the streets that he could ask.

"Telma. She owns a bar in one of the back alleys. She will know." Sheik nodded.

"Then lets go. We need information."

Link guided Sheik down the South road. He turned at an alley and hurried down the stairs. The courtyard outside of Telma's Bar was even darker and more haunting than usual. The very walls seemed threatening... or were they being threatened by an unnameable evil? Either way, Link didn't want to be snatched by a wallmaster. He took paces twice as long as usual to reach the door.

Inside wasn't any better.

As the sun faded behind Death Mountain the bar should have been full, or at least populated. On a normal day there were soldiers and other townsmen at the bar and in the back, telling stories and roaring with drunk laughter. Today, however, the only patron was Telma's fluffy white Persian, Louise. The cat perked her ears and meowed welcomingly when Link and Sheik walked through the door. Link was sorely tempted to try and talk with her. Telma, alerted to a presence by Louise's mew, walked out of the back. When she saw Link, her face went awash with relief. Link lead Sheik to the bar counter.

"Link! Hi!" Telma greeted him. She looked behind the boy to Sheik. "Who's your friend?"

"Sheik," he told her. Sheik nodded to the barmaid.

"Good to meet you, Sheik. What brings the both of you here, then?"

"We need to see the princess, but the guards are even more uptight about entering the castle than usual. What's wrong?" Link asked. Telma frowned tensely.

"The princess is ill. Nobody knows what made her sick, what kind of sickness she has, or how to cure it. She is dying. The entire town is in mourning," she explained. Link was horrified.

"What?! But she can't get sick because of the-" he cut himself off. The existence of the Power of the Goddesses that he, Ganon, and Zelda had was not common knowledge. Zelda had warned him not to speak of it. "There's no way!" he finished. Telma looked at him funny.

"Well, she's deathly ill. If you want to get in, you'll have to take the back way. You can use the tunnel in the loft. Be careful though, honey. They won't take too kindly to strangers today."

"We will be careful," he agreed. He glanced turned around to Sheik. "Ready to go?" he asked his companion. Sheik nodded. Link looked around the bar carefully and spotted a ladder on the far side. He hurried towards it. The climb up was brief and left him on the ledge just below the hole in the wall that was the entrance to the secret waterway to the castle. He gritted his teeth and ducked into the darkness.

He emerged in Jovani's house. The man still had golden coins all over the floor with jewels and jewelry strewn about here and there. Jovani himself, however, was absent from the place. Link walked over to the crimson chest half sunk in the gold and opened it up. The chest was empty, but the bottom was nowhere to be found. He placed his feet on the side of the chest and slid into the dark chest. He fell through darkness.

As soon as he landed his feet slipped. The combination of the sloped tunnel and the heavy water current knocked him off of his feet and sent him sliding down the stone cavern. When the tunnel opened up again, Link was dropped into knee-deep water. He looked around for the pull chain that he had tugged on once before, but it was decidedly absent from the area. His heart went cold. Where was it?!


End file.
